Bush Signs PATRIOT Act After 45-Day Rush with Minimal Debate

President Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act just 45 days after 9/11, following an unprecedented rushed legislative process that bypassed normal democratic deliberation. The 342-page bill was introduced October 23, passed the House 357-66 on October 24, and the Senate 98-1 on October 25, with only Senator Russ Feingold voting against. Many representatives complained they didn’t have time to read the legislation before voting, while Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle sought unanimous consent to pass without debate or amendment. The Bush administration pressured Congress with intimations that those voting ’no’ would be held responsible for further attacks. The Act dramatically expanded government surveillance powers including warrantless wiretapping (Section 206), secret searches (Section 213), mass data collection (Section 215), and expanded FISA surveillance from ‘primary purpose’ to ‘significant purpose’ (Section 218). Most provisions were part of longstanding law enforcement wish lists previously rejected by Congress under normal circumstances. Senator Feingold’s prescient warnings about fishing expeditions and civil liberties violations were later proven accurate through subsequent surveillance revelations, making this a watershed moment in the erosion of constitutional protections.